Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-04-17
THE INTERIOR OF AFRICA.
An Entertaining Account Of DIR. Junker's
Journey-Incidents of the Trip.

The natives If the Uganda district be.
lieve in a supreme being, but they do not
worship Him. considering him so in
finitely superior that the worship of in
significant mortals would not bc recog-
nized by Hum: but they worship inferior
deities, especially the god Of the lake,
and on a voyage make hbations to Him.
They have also a god of warm fact,
they have their Jupiter, Neptune and
Mars. Warrior chiefs, too, who have
died in battle are worshiped as demi-
gods. This is very much like the Homeric
mythology. The government Of Uganda
is based on the feudal system. The chiefs
own land and fulfill the duties of magis-
trates; but there is a right Of appeal, and
important cases come before a chief or
chiefs of the highest order. The Kingdom
is really a limited monarchy; it is gov
erned by a council consisting Of the king
and ZONE chiefs of the highest order, in
cluding the chief butler, baker, and,
above all. the chef de cuisine, the cook.
Without the sanction Of these august
personages the king can do nothing.
When this parliament is ~dissolved-it sits
for three months-the members, like our
The king keeps an enormous harem, and
polygamy Is IN institution. Children and
girls are sold for guns, ammunition, etc.
In the court there are dwarfs and
buffoons, rs there were at European
courts in the olden times.
Baker writes that needles are in great
demand-the natives being exceedingly
clever tailors and furriers-a handsome
girl may he purchased for thirteen
needles. to be exchanged il Unyoro for
an elephant tusk, which would be worth
500 or ESQ in England. In Unyoro
there is an established value for a healthy
young girl-such u person is equal to a
single elephants tusk Of the iirst class or
a new shirt. Thus a girl might lie pur-
chased for o shirt, and subsequently ex-
changed for u large elephants tusk.
Slavery is n national institution Of the
country. In Unyoro the girls are pur-
chased for various commodities. such as
brass coil. bracelets, bark, clothes. cot
ton, shirts. ivory, etc. The Cnyoro
country lies ct the southeast hank Of the
Albert Nyanza.
DR.. Junker wa allowed to proceed on
his Journey ia a boat belonging to the
mission after he had made some hand
some presents TO the king. This piece Is
at the south # Victoria Nyanza. lie -
manned here four days. Toward the
southwest the banks lose the appearance
Of fertility which they had on tae north;
and rocky His wi .hout vorGure. or
merely covered with s.unted m.n0Sa or
coarse grass. run to the marg.l of the
lake. where they end in naked rocks. In
the narrow bays formed 10y these ridges
are here and there villages nesting
among banana groves.
DR.. Junker now got to Ckumhi. Here
the hills recede again, and beds Of am
batch are found growing in the water.
The natives construct boats from this
weed, which is SO extremely buoyant that
a boat ten feet long and four feet wide
made Of it will support at least twelve
men. The lowest point at which this
pithy weed is found is about latitude IL.
Other parts Of the coast are often fringed
with waterlilies. and the islands @. the
south Of the lake are as beautiful rs fairy
land. II is an everchanging Kaleidoscope
at one spot purple convolvuli and the
graceful papri abound, around which i'll
Vulnerable quantities of water fowl Of
every description hover and swim: while
here and there huge %hippopotami are seen
floundering, and crockodiles basking
where there happens to be s~andbanks OF
grassy creeks. In the middle distance are
seen plantain groves and grassy plains Vi
a vivid emerald, while in the background
stand gigantic trees with branches twisted
most Enthusiastically. From Ukumhi DIR,
Junker went on to Ut Salala, where
there is a church mission station. Thence
he went with his porters and don;cy'
to Uyui. uyui may almost be called q
town. 1t is one of the largest col.
l~ections Of huts in Africa. Here and
there are places shaded by immense iia
trees. under which the natives sit. This
is a prosperous station. 1t is ten mile,
northeast from Tabora, the great certe.
Of Arab trade.
The doctor then continued his journey
over the Usodo country, through the
Rubal pass 10 Mpwapwa. Mpwapwa
lies on the western slopes Of the UsaSara
mountains, adjoining the vast tract oi
forest which separates it from the tabl,
land Of Uugodo. Clusters Of villages ar,
scattered all over the plains. their in
habitants supporting themselves on tn
proluct Of the soil and by breeding
cattle. Tie country is fertile, and pro
duces large crops Of dhurra, Indian corr
and other cereals. The natives dwell il
mud huts. built square, with a larg,
court house ia the center, into which IA
is common in the SOudanD the cattle ar,
driven at uigl TO prevent their beinl
dumped. - lie Cape expression run
the doors are strongly built Of wood
The inhabitants are a mixed race o
Wagogo and W~assagara and other tribes
Toward the west stretches an immensi
plain: to the north are fields Of dhurra
and to the south and east vast forests
paradise for a sportsman, as all kinds o
game-lions, leopards, ~antelopes an
buffaloes rove there. In a southern.
direction tower lofty mountains; indeed
il were difficult to conceive "a NOR
romantic spot than that where gu
traveller rested.-Cairo Cor. Londo
News.